Autonomous vehicle technology effectiveness determination for insurance pricing

Abstract

Methods and systems for determining the effectiveness of one or more autonomous (and/or semi-autonomous) operation features of a vehicle are provided. According to certain aspects, information regarding autonomous operation features of the vehicle may be used to determine an effectiveness metric indicative of the ability of each autonomous operation feature to avoid or mitigate accidents or other losses. The information may include operating data from the vehicle or other vehicles having similar autonomous operation features, test data, or loss data from other vehicles. The determined effectiveness metric may then be used to determine part or all of an insurance policy, which may be reviewed by an insured and updated based upon the effectiveness metric.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer-implemented method for evaluating a vehicle having a plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies, the method comprising:
 implementing, by a test computing system, the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies within a virtual test environment; 
 presenting, by the test computing system, virtual test sensor data to the virtual test environment, wherein the virtual test sensor data simulates sensor data for operating conditions associated with a plurality of test scenarios within the virtual test environment; 
 in response to the virtual test sensor data, generating, by the test computing system, test responses of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies; and 
 based upon the test responses, determining, by the test computing system, an effectiveness metric for the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies, wherein the effectiveness metric indicates a combined reliability of operating the vehicle by using different combinations of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies. 
 
     
     
       2. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies includes an updated version of at least one of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies; and 
 determining the effectiveness metric includes determining an update to the effectiveness metric based at least in part upon a compatibility of the updated version of the at least one of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies with at least another one of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies. 
 
     
     
       3. The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein determining the update to the effectiveness metric includes determining a change in accident avoidance effectiveness for the updated version of the at least one of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies. 
     
     
       4. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual test sensor data includes virtual test communication data simulating autonomous vehicle-to-vehicle communication data. 
     
     
       5. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the operating conditions are associated with one or more of: a road type, a time of day, or a weather condition. 
     
     
       6. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 determining the effectiveness metric includes generating a plurality of effectiveness metrics associated with a plurality of vehicle types. 
 
     
     
       7. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the plurality of test scenarios include test scenarios associated with points of impact during virtual vehicle collisions; and 
 the effectiveness metric further indicates the combined reliability of operating the vehicle by using different combinations of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies to mitigate damages during the virtual vehicle collisions. 
 
     
     
       8. A computer system for evaluating a vehicle having a plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies, the system comprising:
 a test computing system including a processor and a memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the test computing system to:
 implement the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies within a virtual test environment; 
 present virtual test sensor data to the virtual test environment, wherein the virtual test sensor data simulates sensor data for operating conditions associated with a plurality of test scenarios within the virtual test environment; 
 in response to the virtual test sensor data, generate test responses of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies; and 
 based upon the test responses, determine an effectiveness metric for the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies, wherein the effectiveness metric indicates a combined reliability of operating the vehicle by using different combinations of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies. 
 
 
     
     
       9. The computer system of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies includes an updated version of at least one of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies; and 
 the executable instructions that cause the test computing system to determine the effectiveness metric further cause the test computing system to determine an update to the effectiveness metric based at least in part upon a compatibility of the updated version of the at least one of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies with at least another one of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies. 
 
     
     
       10. The computer system of  claim 9 , wherein the executable instructions that cause the test computing system to determine the update to the effectiveness metric further cause the test computing system to determine a change in accident avoidance effectiveness for the updated version of the at least one of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies. 
     
     
       11. The computer system of  claim 8 , wherein the virtual test sensor data includes virtual test communication data simulating autonomous vehicle-to-vehicle communication data. 
     
     
       12. The computer system of  claim 8 , wherein the operating conditions are associated with one or more of: a road type, a time of day, or a weather condition. 
     
     
       13. The computer system of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the executable instructions that cause the test computing system to determine the effectiveness metric further cause the test computing system to generate a plurality of effectiveness metrics associated with a plurality of vehicle types. 
 
     
     
       14. The computer system of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the plurality of test scenarios include test scenarios associated with points of impact during virtual vehicle collisions; and 
 the effectiveness metric further indicates the combined reliability of operating the vehicle by using different combinations of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies to mitigate damages during the virtual vehicle collisions. 
 
     
     
       15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for evaluating a vehicle having a plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies that, when executed by at least one processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to:
 implement the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies within a virtual test environment; 
 present virtual test sensor data to the virtual test environment, wherein the virtual test sensor data simulates sensor data for operating conditions associated with a plurality of test scenarios within the virtual test environment; 
 in response to the virtual test sensor data, generate test responses of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies; and 
 based upon the test responses, determine an effectiveness metric for the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies, wherein the effectiveness metric indicates a combined reliability of operating the vehicle by using different combinations of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies. 
 
     
     
       16. The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies includes an updated version of at least one of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies; and 
 the executable instructions that cause the computer system to determine the effectiveness metric further cause the computer system to determine an update to the effectiveness metric based at least in part upon a compatibility of the updated version of the at least one of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies with at least another one of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies. 
 
     
     
       17. The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the virtual test sensor data includes virtual test communication data simulating autonomous vehicle-to-vehicle communication data. 
     
     
       18. The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the operating conditions are associated with one or more of: a road type, a time of day, or a weather condition. 
     
     
       19. The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 ,
 the executable instructions that cause the computer system to determine the effectiveness metric further cause the computer system to generate a plurality of effectiveness metrics associated with a plurality of vehicle types. 
 
     
     
       20. The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 ,
 the plurality of test scenarios include test scenarios associated with points of impact during virtual vehicle collisions; and 
 the effectiveness metric further indicates the combined reliability of operating the vehicle by using different combinations of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies to mitigate damages during the virtual vehicle collisions.